Posted By Dutch on January 24, 2012

Governor Romney’s promotes his tenure at Bain Capital as an example of his strength as a turnaround artist, rescuing companies like Staples and The Sports Authority from failure. He promises that if elected President, this experience will lead him to succeed in rescuing the US economy.

Governor Romney’s tenure as Massachusetts’ Governor begs the question as to his ability to translate success in business to success in politics. Former Utah Governor John Huntsman based his entire campaign on contrasting his performance as Governor of Utah to that of Romney in Massachusetts. The overwhelming majorities that Democrats had in both houses of the Legislature in Massachusetts during Romney’s time as governor present an open question as to what Romney might have achieved had he enjoyed the same conservative Legislature that Huntsman had in Utah. Ultimately, Huntsman endorsed Romney.

Nevertheless, the Romney campaign is experiencing a crisis right now. Having enjoyed front-runner status the entire campaign, except for one brief two-week period in December in Iowa, he has been able to fend off challengers with relative ease. Romney’s Super PAC combined with strong attacks from the Ron Paul campaign deflated Gingrich’s balloon quickly. Gingrich’s resurrection (his second within the same campaign) is even stronger than his first. Newt Gingrich overwhelmed Romney in South Carolina, and the latest polls show Gingrich’s momentum carrying him onward into a lead in Florida, where Romney once bragged about his double-digit lead.

Florida will be the first true test of Romney’s “Crisis Management” skill in politics, as opposed to business. Romney is no longer relying on his Super PAC to do the dirty work for him. He has attacked Gingrich’s record directly, both for his tenure as Speaker and for his “consulting services” to Freddie MAC. He has apparently abandoned his campaign strategy of remaining above the fray and appearing “Presidential.”

Romney has been forced to leave his perch, get into the ring, and personally mix it up with Gingrich. The question is does Romney have a glass jaw? While this bashing of one another presents great risk to whoever emerges as the GOP Nominee, that which does not kill them, will only make them stronger. This final, great battle for Florida and Super Tuesday between the remaining candidates may be exactly the trial by fire needed. Certainly, the onslaught of attacks being prepared by the Obama Campaign will be much worse. Romney’s ability to survive this crisis and come out on top may finally prove to all Republicans that he has what it takes to beat Obama; if not, better that we find out now, instead of November.

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Tags: debate, Gingrich, Republican, Romney

Posted By Dutch on October 4, 2011

Judge Edward O. Burke has officially declared his retirement in the next cycle for retention. His nakedly political commentary within his ruling on the Russell Pearce Recall hearing over candidate Olivia Cortez will not go unnoticed.

In his ruling, released yesterday, Judge Burke painstakingly works through the various examples of candidate fraud, testing the Cortez campaign against each one. In each case, Judge Burke finds the Cortez campaign does not match up against the criteria set by precedent.

In each example, Judge Burke exonerates the Cortez campaign from having any resemblance to the fraudulent activity cited. And yet, Judge Burke cannot seem to resist labeling Olivia Cortez as a “diversionary or sham candidate” in spite of his own findings. (Find Judge Burke’s ruling here: Burke Ruling)

Example #1: Similar names
Olivia Cortez does not resemble Jerry Lewis in any way

Example #2: Fictitious Character
Olivia is obviously a real person, not a fictitious character

Judge Burke ruled: “Those three cases involved deception or outright fraud in running candidates with similar or fictitious names, which is not our case. Cortez does not have a deceptively similar name to Lewis and she has legally qualified to run.”

Example #3: Candidate withdraws between Primary and General Election
Olivia has no intention of withdrawing from the Recall Election

Again, Judge Burke ruled, “This is not the case either as there is no evidence that Cortez would not serve if elected.”

In conclusion to this section of the ruling, reviewing the various ways in which candidate fraud has been perpetrated in the past, Judge Burk states, “ Divining candidates’ motives and acting on them is more properly the role of voters. Plaintiff’s remedy is through the ballot box and not the courts.”

The judgement of the court is clear that Olivia Cortez is a legitimate candidate, not a “sham” candidate. Therefore, it is beyond comity for Judge Burke to insert personal commentary into his ruling that Olivia Cortez is a “diversionary or sham” candidate.

Judge Burke’s personal commentary has given fuel to the Jerry Lewis campaign to continue to besmirch the good name of Olivia Cortez. In a campaign already highly charged with public recriminations on both sides, Judge Burke has inserted his personal, opinion into his ruling, even though it completely contradicts his professional opinion exonerating Olivia Cortez.

John Giles, former Mesa Vice-Mayor and Co-Chairman of the Jerry Lewis campaign, today accused the Cortez campaign of violating election law and threatening further action, calling for the Arizona Secretary of State to investigate.

There is nothing more that the Jerry Lewis campaign would like than to have Olivia Cortez drop of the race.

However, the Cortez campaign has vowed that all of the intimidation and threats from the Jerry Lewis campaign will not succeed.

If the Jerry Lewis campaign believes that they can force Olivia Cortez out of the race, then in the immortal words of Rob Halford (Judas Priest), “You’ve got another thing coming!”

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Tags: Boettcher, Cortez, East Valley, LD18, Mesa, Pearce, Recall, Ryan, Tea Party, Western

Posted By Dutch on April 18, 2011

I have been stewing on this all weekend. I attended the “Feet to the Fire” rally at the Arizona State Capital in Phoenix on Friday night (4/15/2011) hosted by Americans for Prosperity. Here is a link to the video showing the protestors in opposition to the event circling the perimeter.

Arizona “Feet to the Fire” Rally

Notice the lack of any buffer zone. It is typical at such events for protestors to be restricted to the sidewalk on the other side of 17th Avenue or at least 50 feet from the edge of the reserved space. The Phoenix Police permitted the protestors to step right up to the edge of the event’s reserved space and at least one protestor entered the area to heckle the speakers. The protestors carried bullhorns in which they yelled, played loud music or played siren sounds. By not allowing any buffer zone, those sitting at the edge of the reserved area could not hear the speakers at the podium.

This disturbs me to no end. In this highly charged political environment in which we find ourselves and in light of the shooting on January 8th in Tucson, such lack of a clear buffer/safety zone is beyond negligent. It is corrupt.

I certainly don’t know who made the decision permitting this minimal protection, but it is clear that this decision inherently increased the risk of violence and the potential severity of consequences of that violence.

The Left has been ginning up the claims of “rightwing” violence since the January shooting in Tucson. In Wisconsin, death threats made against Republican legislators remained largely unreported by the mainstream media. Just as the President threatened to join the fray as a protestor in Wisconsin, so has the left continued to raise the stakes via Union intimidation breaking into the Wisconsin capital, squatting, and damaging public property.

I suspect that the Phoenix Police have been influenced by their Union. Phoenix City Councilman, Sal DiCiccio, has worked with Arizona Legislators to require open bidding for contracts greater than $50K. Arizona Legislators just sent a major Pension Reform bill to the Governor on Friday, which has implications on Public Pensions throughout Arizona. Other bills demanding greater transparency from City governments have also been proposed in this session. The Tea party has supported them all. All of these bills threaten Unionized Public employees. I am concerned that even though the men and women in uniform working the event surely would have had their instincts and training kick in had a violent outbreak occurred, their decision to maintain such a minimalist boundary at the event increased the likelihood of such a possibility dramatically.

While speaking with a small group, Sheriff Arpaio joined us in conversation. Protestors with bullhorns were allowed within 15 feet of the Sheriff. Sheriff Arpaio’s security was prepared, but the look on their faces and the hardened stance they took at his perimeter made it clear that they were highly uncomfortable with the lack of buffer provided by the Phoenix Police. As one protestor repeatedly ran up to within 10 – 15 feet of the Sheriff, yelling “Racist” and other names, the Phoenix Police stood by and watched, unengaged.

One attendee approached several officers early in the event to inquire about the noise level of the bullhorns and amplified music and asked whether it was a violation of any ordinance. She was rebuffed. The officers claimed there was nothing they could do.

My friends, this is a very bad sign of things to come. In an orderly society, we rely on the moral conscience of individuals to regulate their own behavior. In emotionally charged circumstances at public events, we rely on either private security or security provided by the local police. This event has made it clear to me that we can no longer count on the local police to protect our safety. The Phoenix Police have been compromised.

Now, I’m not advocating that we go out and hire the “Hell’s Angels” to work security, like at the Monterrey festival in 1969, but we can no longer trust in Government supplied security. The fact that so many attendees to such events are personally armed may give pause to individuals with violence in mind, but it is not a substitute for a vigilant and focused group of security personnel perpetually scanning the grounds for signs of trouble.

This wasn’t just a rowdy event of politicos. Families attended this rally bringing children of all ages, including toddlers. The gross negligence with which the Phoenix Police department conducted their operation on Friday night was a travesty.

Tea Partiers need to prepare themselves for all future events, not just here in Phoenix, but Nationwide. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Some influence, likely the Public Unions, has persuaded our Public Safety Personnel that they should support those who side with protecting their pensions, not the peaceful, law-abiding citizens in the Tea Party.

To all my fellow Tea Partiers, as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) used to say on Hill Street Blues, “Hey! Let’s be careful out there!”

Category: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tags: AFP, Phoenix, Tea Party, Thugs

Posted By Dutch on April 11, 2011

David Plouffe, senior White House advisor, said yesterday on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace that the President promised in January to reduce the deficit by using a scalpel, not a machete! Unfortunately, we NEED a machete! (Actually, what we really need is a wood chipper, like in the movie Fargo. If the left can continue to use outrageously non-pc language to describe Republican cuts, well then what’s good for the goose is good for the gander!)

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but rather from the keyboard of the Federal Reserve’s FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee). However, the Fed doesn’t create money on its own; it receives instructions from Congress, which passes budgets that spend more money than is received via taxes.

With a deficit of $1.65 Trillion, the Fed is creating lots of money. If they cannot find buyers for the Treasury notes that finance the deficit, then the Fed simply buys the notes themselves, monetizing the debt.  1970′s style inflation, here we come!

The only way to pay down the $14 Trillion debt is to have POSITIVE cash flows, which means NO DEFICIT! A balanced budget is the minimum necessary to stop growing the debt and avoid raising the Federal debt ceiling.

If across-the-board cuts would make them more palatable to the Democrats, then why haven’t they proposed any such cuts? That brings us back to the President’s analogy of using a scalpel, instead of a machete.

As the old story goes, we have agreed upon what you are madam, now, we are merely haggling over the price.

President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, and the House minority Democrats wish to balance the budget by cutting Republican “social programs,” otherwise known as subsidies for corporations. But there’s nothing ideological about that. Especially, since they sponsor so many subsidies for their favorite “Green” industries.

Nor is there anything ideological about social programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Planned Parenthood, etc. Or is there?

Why is Democrat spending on social programs that create huge deficits not considered “ideological,” but Republican proposals that reign in such spending labeled as “ideological?”

Democrats drive “Social Issues” by spending borrowed money, and no one in the mainstream media calls them out for being “ideological” in doing so. Republicans rightfully point out that it is exactly these “social programs,” with no limits on spending, which are causing the outrageous debt. Republicans who propose cuts to these “social programs” are then accused of being motivated by “ideological” extremism, not a genuine desire to restore fiscal sanity.

It’s time to call out the Democrats as Extreme for creating this outrageous $1.65 Trillion deficit with their “ideologically” driven social agenda. Republican cuts to the budget are driven no more by a social “conservative” agenda, than the original social “liberal” agenda that spent the borrowed money in the first place! It is a Democrat “Social” agenda to fund the Stimulus package. It is a Democrat “Social” agenda to fund Obamacare. It is a Democrat “Social” agenda to fund Planned Parenthood!

The idea that without Government subsidies for Planned Parenthood, poor women would die by the thousands from Cancer is the most outrageous claim made yet in defense of the $1.65 Trillion deficit and $14 Trillion debt.

We MUST stop spending money we don’t have and passing the debt down to our kids and grandkids!

In Verizon’s latest commercial, a young girl “little Suzi” is running a lemonade stand. Her father gives her his phone saying, “use this honey, it has a calculator!” While the point of the commercial is to demonstrate the myriad other things which the phone can do besides acting as a calculator, I would be happy if both Democrats and Republicans could find an app to use their phones as machetes, instead of scalpels on the 2011 and 2012 budgets!

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Tags: Bachmann, boehner, Budget, continuing resolution, Kantor, Path to Prosperity, Ryan

Posted By Dutch on April 8, 2011

Okay. Say that the Continuing Resolution falls through and the Federal Government is forced into a partial shutdown this weekend.

Big whoop; like anything is going to happen on a weekend anyway!

The real issue is what happens during the following week.

While the funding for the troops is important and will certainly be used by both sides in an attempt to portray the other as unpatriotic, the underlying issue is: What impact will a partial Shutdown have on everyone else? The Democrats really don’t want you to discover the answer to this question!

There will be two major reactions by the general public to this Shutdown.

The First reaction will be annoyance.
There will be many services that we take for granted that will be closed. Most will be minor inconveniences, not crises. The world will not end, Armageddon will not be upon us. (Although, if the Shutdown lasts too long, those not receiving paychecks will certainly be more than annoyed!)

The second reaction will be outrage.
With each passing day that the Federal Government is shutdown, people will begin to realize just how invasive our Federal Government has become. They will marvel at how much the Federal Government’s long reach dominates even the slightest details of traveling, shopping, working, etc.

Once Americans truly come to realize the extent to which our nanny state has grown and intruded into our daily lives, they will rebel with even greater fervor than has been seen to date at Tea Party Rallies!

The two major conclusions drawn will be:
1) We can live with a lot less Government
2) We refuse to be continually “micromanaged” to the nth degree by the Federal Government!

So go ahead Harry Reid and President Obama, shut the government down. Make my day! You will certainly come to regret your decision in November 2012!

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Tags: boehner, continuing resolution, HR1363, reid, shutdown

Posted By Dutch on April 7, 2011

Congressman Paul Ryan’s proposed budget reform is a distraction.  It is intended to take your eye off the ball.  The burning issue of the day is the Continuing Resolution for the Federal Fiscal Year 2011.  The Democrats failed to pass a budget in 2010.  The Republicans have also failed to propose a budget, and instead have agreed to a game of chicken with the Democrats, through ongoing public debate over Continuing Resolutions.  The point being to see who blinks first and who will bear the blame if the Federal Government shuts down.

In the midst of this debate, Ryan publishes his grand opus for 2012 and beyond.

One has to ask why?

What does he hope to gain by trumpeting out this monstrosity in the middle of fierce negotiations over the 2011 budget?

Well, isn’t it obvious?

He is distracting your attention away from the 2011 budget.  This gesture exposes the cowardice of Speaker Boehner and the rest of the old time, establishment Republicans.  They fear the consequences of a possible government shut down, but they want to save face among their constituents.  The solution to such a conundrum is to persuade everyone to let 2011 go, and instead pursue 2012 with renewed vigour!

We can’t win 2011, so let’s just roll over and make new promises about how hard we will fight to the death for 2012!

Riiiiiiiiight!

And I have some lovely beachfront property for you in Nebraska!

The line has been drawn in the sand.

Some, like Congresswoman Michele Bachmann have chosen to fight NOW for 2011.  Where are the rest of our Tea Party Freshman?

The Goal is $60 Billion plus in spending cuts and ALL FOUR of the major riders to 1) Defund Planned Parenthood, 2) Defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 3) Defund Obamacare Start-up, and 4) block the EPA from instituting Cap & Trade on its own without Congressional authority.

Anything less is an abject failure.

If we can’t stand up for a measly $60 Billion out of $1.65 Trillion and a few politically charged subsidies, then we have no hope of winning any battles for 2012’s budget.

Where do your Republican Congressman and Senators stand?

Update: Fox News Reports that House has passed a bill with ONLY $12 Billion in cuts and NO Policy Riders! Senator Reid and President Obama appear ready to shut government down rather than accept $12 Billion in cuts. We will see who wins the PR war over the weekend. The Sunday morning shows (Face the Nation, Chris Wallace, etc.) should be interesting!

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Posted By Dutch on March 25, 2011

The City of Mesa, Arizona has a plethora of councils and ad hoc committees to address various and sundry community interests that the Mayor and elected Council members prefer to address from a distance.  After all, they wouldn’t want to become embroiled in any controversy that might impinge upon their chances for reelection.

One such committee, the Human Relations Advisory Board (HRAB), recently waded into the debate over Illegal Immigration by proposing a review of the Utah Compact (Utah Compact).  On Wednesday, March 23, 2011, the committee heard from Utah’s Jason Mathis, Vice President of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and Ben McAdams, Senior Policy Advisor to Salt Lake City Mayor and Utah State Senator, about the origins of the Utah Compact amidst what they described as an increasingly “toxic” debate over illegal immigration.

Following their brief statement via speakerphone from Utah, the floor was opened up for public comment toward the proposition of Mesa adopting the Utah Compact.

…And that’s when the fireworks started.  Many testified either in favor or in opposition, to Mesa adopting the Utah Compact, some of them were even Mesa residents.  A new Liberal Advocacy Group, the East Valley Patriots for American Values (no web site exists for this group at this time), has emerged to push for adoption of the Utah Compact across Arizona, but starting in Mesa.  Hey, if you can succeed in forcing adoption of Pro-Amnesty policies in Mesa, you can succeed anywhere!

Lost in the discussion was what adoption of the Utah Compact would gain anyone.  The only advantage to adopting such a banal philosophical statement is to provide ammunition for critics to use against the Mesa City Council.  Any policy adopted by Mesa that could in any way be interpreted as contradictory to this politically correct declaration would be immediately assailed as being in conflict with the values of the City, as expressed by this statement.  Cries of outrage will force the Council to rescind the offending policy.

The Utah Compact is nothing more than a preemptive strike against any future policy by local officials to enforce immigration law or even cooperate with the U.S. Government in enforcement.

Well, two can play this game; hence, I have written my own Arizona Compact.  Perhaps others can improve upon what I have started, but it would be gratifying to see Arizona adopt a compact of its own.  We should encourage those who are placing their reputations on the line in defense of Arizona’s stand against Illegal Immigration.

THE ARIZONA COMPACT

A declaration of five principles to guide Arizona’s immigration discussion

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS

Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries—and it is FAILING miserably.  Arizona and other states have been forced to expend their precious resources to uphold those laws that our Federal Government has refused to enforce. We urge Arizona’s congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to enforce Federal Immigration laws and protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt EVERY reasonable policy possible to discourage illegal immigrants from taking up residence in Arizona.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement’s professional judgment and discretion. Unfortunately, we cannot and do not respect the professional judgment and discretion of many local politicians.  Local law enforcement resources should prioritize efforts and focus on criminal activities that exacerbate existing criminal behavior and not bow to political pressure to exempt any individual or group from such enforcement out of political correctness.

FAMILIES

Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose policies that undermine strong families. We champion policies that strengthen families and protect their safety, enable them to choose the best education for their children, and defend Parent’s rights in rearing their children in Arizona.

ECONOMY

Arizona is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual freedom and opportunity. Economic growth follows investment.  Investment seeks out stable environments that protect private property and enforce the Rule of Law.  We acknowledge the economic role LEGAL immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. Arizona’s immigration policies must reaffirm our National reputation as a champion of the Rule of Law providing security for its citizens and their businesses.

A FREE SOCIETY

Immigrants, both legal and illegal, are integrated into communities across Arizona. We must adopt a rational approach to this reality, reflecting our desire to reward those who play by the rules, rather than those who do not. The way we treat legal immigrants, with fairness and justice, will say more about us as a free society than all of the excuses made for overlooking those who enter illegally. Arizona will always be a place that welcomes people of good character.

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Tags: Illegal immigration, SB1070, Utah Compact

Posted By Dutch on March 18, 2011

Much has been said and written about President Obama’s withdrawal from his responsibilities as President. He neglects his own budget crisis, but comments on Wisconsin’s public battle between Governor Walker and Public Employee Unions. He remains indecisive on America’s response to Libya, but unveils his picks for the NCAA Tournament.

This gave me an idea.

Here, for the first time, see President Obama’s “hidden” Presidential Tournament predictions.

Obama’s Presidential Disaster Tournament Bracket!

Obama's Presidential Disaster Bracket

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Tags: Obama NC

Posted By Dutch on January 18, 2011

Is it OVER yet?

Can we stop acting like wussies yet?

Dutch

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Tags: civility, huffington post, moveon.org, palin, tragedy, tucson

Posted By Dutch on August 20, 2010

In every scary movie, there’s a scene where someone tries to flee, but the engine won’t start. The suspense builds and usually, just at the last minute before the evil “thing” can attack, the engine finally starts and the “good guy” escapes.

At last night’s LD19 District Republican meeting we found out that James Molina has NOT dropped out of the Senate race, but merely “suspended” his campaign.

For all of those who would like an alternative candidate to support in Tuesday’s Primary election, a vote for James Molina will still count for something MORE than a protest vote. The engine may have had a little trouble getting started, but it is fired up and ready to roll!

LD19 Republicans, run for your lives!

Vote James Molina for Senate!!!

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Tags: James Molina, LD19, Republican Senate, Rich Crandall